31 October 2011

LONDON -- I may sound very killjoy but there is a big possibility that England's football superstar David Beckham might not play for the LA Galaxy against the Philippine Azkals when they meet in a friendly match in Manila.

The LA Galaxy-Philippine Azkals clash is set on December 3 at the Rizal Memorial stadium, and there are few reasons why Beckham may not suit up for Galaxy.

Beckham's five-year contract with Galaxy is expiring in December and there's a number of European teams running after his services in spite of his very ripe age of 36.

In England alone, the club of his father--the Tottenham Hotspur's--has been courting him since last year. He even tried to get a loan contract with the Spurs and practice with them during the Major League Soccer's (MLS) off-season.

Galaxy and Spurs did not agree with the money and Beckham failed to get a loan deal. Queen's Park Rangers (QPR), now owned by Malaysian billionaire Tony Fernandez is also reportedly trying to get Becks' signature seriously.

But the most serious interest of all comes from outside, England. French League top team Paris St. Germain is bent on signing up Becks. PSG's current Brazilian general manager Leonardo and Becks worked together in AC Milan during his stint with the Italian giants.

MANILA, Philippines - Seeking to sustain the gains of the senior Azkals and toughened up by a weeklong training in Japan, the Phl men’s under-23 team leaves for Jakarta today to vie for a first-ever medal in the Southeast Asian Games.

Azkal mainstay Jason de Jong and Fil-British Matthew Hartmann will lead the 20-man crew assembled by coach Michael Weiss for the campaign, which begins on Thursday against Vietnam.

Both playing midfield, Fil-Dutch de Jong, the most senior of the lot, and Hartmann, who scored a goal in the Azkals’ 4-0 win over Nepal in a friendly, are groomed to be captain of the side composed of Fil-foreign and homegrown bets.

30 October 2011

AFTER a hectic six weeks preparing for the UFL Cup, the players and coaching staff of the Cebu Queen City United will take a break before taking to the pitch anew for its next challenge—the the United Football League Division 2.

“We are planning to hold another tryout soon so we can get more players but for now, we will be resting,” said head coach Mario Ceniza, who also handles Paref Springdale.

Unlike its shortened preparation for the UFL Cup—which only lasted a month—Cebu Queen City United will have a longer preparation for the league, which is expected to start in January.

Ceniza is also hoping the team gets to play a lot of friendly games with tough non-Cebu based teams so the squad will get to adjust to the style of play in the UFL, where top teams are quick to pounce on defensive errors to score a goal.

“I think it’s better that before coming up with the final lineup, we can have a lot of friendlies so we can really see how the players perform,” said Ceniza.

The players need not be college students, though Ceniza said college varsities have the advantage because they are already fit.

“As long as the players meet our requirements. They don’t have to be in college, because as of now, I can’t really speak for what the club can offer for them,” he said.

MANILA, Philippines - Coach Michael Weiss and team manager Dan Palami are both pleased with the progress of the Japan training camp of the Philippine Under-23 pool bound for the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia next week.

Although still missing Europe-based players Carli de Murga, Roland Mueller, and Jeffrey Christiaens, the U-23 crew led by Jason de Jong, Matthew and Mark Hartmann, OJ Porteria and Jinggoy Valmayor have made the most out of their sessions in Gotemba, Japan.

“The camp and training have been fantastic so far. We have worked very hard on cohesion, offensive and defensive patterns in the way we want to play our game,” Weiss said in an email to The STAR.

Phl XI played two friendlies in Gotemba, scoring a 5-1 win over Hiryu FC and yielding a 0-2 setback to a U-18 JFA Academy side backstopped by some national mainstays.

“Apart from training, we went to study the training of Shimizu S-Pulse J1 Club and had the opportunity to talk to (top players) Naohiro Takahara, Shinji Ono and Freddy Ljungberg, a former Arsenal player,” said Weiss.

The Filipinos flew to Tokyo Saturday to watch the J-League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup finals, where the Kashima Antlers won over the Urawa Red Diamonds,1-0, observing how it’s played in the big leagues.

The team was slated to play Tokyogakkan Urayasu HS football team yesterday as the final tuneup of their Japan sojourn. It is scheduled to arrive in Manila today and depart for Jakarta tomorrow, two days ahead of their Nov. 3 match with Vietnam.

The Philippine Men's National Under-23 Football Team played their last tune-up game in preparation for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games (SEAG). The U-23 Azkals drew a Japanese team 1-1 and will complete their a week-long training camp in Gotemba, Japan tomorrow.

The Philippine squad is scheduled to play against regional football powerhouse Vietnam on November 3 at the Utama Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Indonesia, a week ahead of the SEA Games opening ceremonies on November 11.

Coach Hans Michael Weiss brought a 30-man squad to Japan, but a final cut of 20 players will see action in the SEA Games.

Germany-based first choice goal keeper Roland Mueller and Fil-Spanish striker Carlie de Murga will follow the team in Indonesia. Fil-German Manny Ott will miss the tournament as he searches for a new club in Germany. De Jong, 21, among the most experienced member of the squad, is expected to lead the team.

THE Abellana National School (ANS) Pomeroy drew with the Bukidnon Football Association, 1-1 to secure the bronze medal in the U16 football competition of the 4th Pintaflores National Invitational Tournament yesterday.

With the draw, ANS-Pomeroy finished with 2 wins, 2 draws and a loss.

The tournament ended yesterday in San Carlos City with the host team once again ruling the tournament with 4 wins, 1 loss and a draw.

San Carlos City lost its final assignment yesterday against Don Bosco Victorias, 0-1 in a non-bearing match.

The Negros Oriental Football Association (NORFA)-Dumaguete finished second with 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw after routing Barotac Nuevo Iloilo, 4-0, for its final match.

Bukidnon scored the first goal on the 26th minute when ANS failed to clear the ball on a goal mouth scramble which resulted from a corner kick.

ANS equalized at the 85th minute on a penalty kick which resulted from a handball foul by the Bukidnon defender. It was converted by Michael Ruete.

Head coach Francis Ramirez said his boys had so many chances to score but failed to convert any of its attempts.

29 October 2011

MANILA, Philippines—Newcomer Pachanga blanked Cebu Queen City Landmasters United, 4-0, Saturday to clinch top spot in Group C in the United Football League Cup at the University of Makati pitch.Barotac Nuevo-born striker Joven Bedic was on target for the third straight game while three other players scored for Pachanga, which finished on top of the group after tallying seven points on two wins and a draw.Pachanga leapfrogged past Stallion FC as the top team in the group heading into the last 16. Defending champion Global is also well-positioned to reach the next round from the group as one of the wildcard entries intended for the two best third-placed teams.In the second game, Pasargad and Green Archers fought to a 1-1 draw.With the stalemate, both teams advanced as the top two teams from Group G with Green Archers ruling the bracket with seven points and Pasargad finishing second with four.The other qualifiers for the last 16 so far are Nomads (Group A), Loyola Meralco and Team Socceroos (Group B), Stallion FC (Group C), Kaya-Cignal and Diliman Victory Liner (Group D), Air Force Phoenix and Navy Red Juice (Group E) and Philippine Army (Group G).Bedic, who struck in matches against Stallion and Global, completed the scoring for Pachanga in the 54th minute with a half-volley from the edge of the area after a long punt from goalkeeper Mark Sorongon.Substitute Ronnel Lagrimas, coming in for the injured Shilmar Felongco, struck in the 13th minute, firing a first-time shot into the bottom corner after he was set up by Alu Kigbu.The Cebuanos also had their chances with Ariel Cahilig testing Sorongon from long range in the 28th minute and also from a tight angle five minutes later.Cebu was made to pay for not taking their opportunities as Gino Palomo doubled the lead for Pachanga in the 42nd minute.Rushing down the right flank, Palomo did well to slot the ball beyond the Cebu keeper’s reach, before finding Kigbu a minute later who had plenty of time and space to fire into the back of the net.

28 October 2011

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Under-23 squad’s bid for a first medal in the Southeast Asian Games football competition in Indonesia suffered a blow after Fil-German midfielder Manny Ott ruled himself out of the event to search for a new club in Germany.With seven appearances for the senior team, Ott, a vital cog in the Azkals’ run to the second round of World Cup Qualifying, could have been one of the most experienced players in the SEA Games squad, which faces Vietnam in its first match on November 3 at the Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.“I’m searching for another club here and so I have to stay and play for my team,” Ott said in his Facebook account. “My heart is beating for the Philippines. I’m very, very sad, but I have to think about my future.”Ott, whose mother hails from Caticlan, Aklan, is attached with FC Ingolstadt II, which plays in the fourth division in Germany.Ott’s absence gives additional responsibilities to the veteran Jason de Jong to lead the side in Jakarta.

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals will be gunning for a victory when they take on major league soccer team LA Galaxy in a friendly at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on December 3.

Team manager Dan Palami assured Azkals fans that the team will not be "star-struck" when they play against stars such as David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane.

"We're going to play against them to win," Palami said.

He added that for some of the Azkals, this will not be the first time that they will play against high-profile football players.

"Some of them have played against big name players already, in the Champions League," he explained.

Palami is confident that the Philippine national football team can give the Galaxy a competitive match and hopefully make a statement.

"We want to prove to the Philippines and to the world that we could give a team such as LA Galaxy stiff competition," he said. "This will pave the way for other teams to come here, knowing that they will be challenged properly."

The visiting football club from London, England will play a friendly game against the San Carlos City Football Club today at the Panaad Stadium as part of their training camp in Negros Occidental.

Led by Filipino-Scottish players James and Ryan Hall, the London-based squad is expected to display their advanced skills against the Negrense booters from San Carlos City.

It will be a quality football game and the Negrense community are invited to watch the match for free at the Panaad, Executive Assistant to the Governor and Provincial Sports Coordinator Angel Verdeflor said.

After the game against San Carlos, the Londoners are set to play against Sagay City FC on Monday, October 31, and against Ceres Football Club on November 3, Verdeflor said.

Meanwhile, the San Carlos and Real Negrense booters extend their winning streak by prevailing over their opponents in the 1st Negros First Football Open Championship at the Panaad pitch.

San Carlos blanked Magallon FC, 8-0, to post a 3-0 win-loss card in Group A, while Real Negrense beat Minuluan-Talisay, 1-0, to top Group B to stay undefeated with three wins.

Games in the Negros Open football tournament are played every Saturday at the Panaad pitch.*NAB

MANILA, Philippines – The LA Galaxy football team will be in town this December for an exhibition match with the Philippine Azkals.

Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta, Azkals team manager Dan Palami and LA Galaxy president Thomas Payne, and Jinx Macabenta of US-based promotional firm Fuelcels Inc. made the announcement at a press conference at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City this afternoon.

The exhibition match will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Payne said the entire LA Galaxy, which will be bannered by football heartthrob David Beckham, will be in the country for the exhibition. The squad will arrive on Dec. 1.

Prior to the match, the visitors will hold a clinic for Bantay Bata kids on Dec. 2, also at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Tickets to the game will go on sale on the first week of November, organizers said, with the prices to be announced soon.

This is the target of the national football team competing in the 26th Southeast Asian Games soccer tourney starting on Nov. 3 in Jakarta, Indonesia, which German coach Michael Weiss said should be enough to send his charges to the semifinals.

"If we get 10 points (on three wins and a draw) most likely we will qualify for the next round," Weiss said shortly before the Filipinos left for Gotemba, Japan last Monday for a weeklong training camp, the last phase of their intensive buildup for the regional meet.

The nationals open their campaign in Group B against defending champion Vietnam, a prospect that does not faze Weiss in the least.

"There is no aspect in playing against Vietnam," Weiss said. "Vietnam is one of the five opponents. We might lose 7-0 but still have a chance of (advancing). If we beat all the other teams then we are through."

He, however, cautioned local football fans not to pressure his wards by making predictions about their performance, saying: "We will take it one game at a time, one step at a time.

"There should be no speculations for gold, silver, finals, blah, blah, blah– that’s stupid," the German mentor said. "It’s just dreaming and nothing about the real football world, just too much dreaming.

"It will be one game at a time, one strategy for each game at a time."

He noted four his starters–Filipino-Spanish defender Carlos Alberto de Murga, Fil-Germans Roland Mueller and Manny Ott and Fil-Belgian Jeffrey Christaens–"will play under jet lag in the first game so that will be very difficult."

Other than the team’s tough opening match, Weiss said he liked the way their elimination game schedule worked out, giving them a three-day break before resuming action against Timor Leste, followed by the game against Laos on Nov. 11 before taking on an equally strong Myanmar squad two days later . The Philippines wraps up the preliminaries against Brunei on Nov. 15.

Queen City United Football Club of Cebu still one more game left to play in the United Football League (UFL) Cup.

The Cebu-based team, which was formed a few weeks prior to the start of the tournament earlier this month, is already out of the running after losing its games against Global FC, 0-3, and to Stallions FC, 0-7.

The game set this weekend against Pachanga FC was supposed to be the first game of QCU, but this was cancelled last October 9 due to the unplayable conditions of the University of Makati Field.

I talked with Glenn Quisido, president of the Cebu Amateur Football Club, the mother club of QCU, and he said that they are still asking that the game this weekend be played here as promised.

Glenn said that they were informed that the match will be held at the Rizal Memorial Field at 2 p.m. and have been told that it would be televised.

The problem with this is that the team was not able to purchase tickets in advance and the cost to go to Manila this weekend and return home would be around P9,000 per head. This trip alone would cost the team around P200,000 for fare alone as this is a peak season for travel due to the semestral break and the coming All Saints Day and All Souls Day celebration.

This weekend’s game is important for Pachanga as it will determine if the team will advance to the next round or not.

Currently, Stallions FC leads group C with six points courtesy of wins against Global and QCU.

Global is second with four points along with Pachanga, but has the edge in terms of goals made with 7 against 4 for Pachanga.

Pachanga needs only a draw to advance as it would earn one point to put it one ahead of Global, which has already played all its games.

If Pachanga loses, then Global would advance to the round of 16.

It would be good to have the game played in Cebu so that the fans here can watch the game live and experience cheering for our Queen City United.

I hope that the UFL officials will agree to the request, which was actually something they offered when they decided to call off the October 9 game.

Pachanga is based in Bacolod, so it would be easy for the team to come here and play.

MANILA, Philippines - Azkals Fil-Spanish striker Angel Guirado’s older brother Juan Luis may try out to fill the spot vacated by injured defender Aly Borromeo for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup finals in Laos on March 3-18 and could fly in from Spain in February to be tested by coach Michael Weiss.

Guirado’s agent Rafa Garcia said yesterday Juan Luis has the experience and bulk to play physical defense but the question is if he can get time off work to join the Azkals. At the moment, the 31-year-old Juan Luis plays for Lermeno of Burgos in the Spanish Division III and is employed in a day job.

“We initially spoke to Juani about making himself available from February to March 20,” said Garcia, the Guirados’ first cousin. “He still has to check with his work if it’s possible.”

MANILA, Philippines -- Last Friday (October 21) a squad of British Pinoy footballers touched down on Philippine soil to begin a 4-game tour of exhibition games.

The select Philippine UK team, currently stationed in Bacolod, made the journey to train and test themselves against some of their Pinoy counterparts. The team has 20 players that come from cities such as Liverpool, Birmingham, Reading and London.

Scottish coach James Hall was in a confident mood before the team headed out.

“Fitness will be the main key and climate change will be difficult, but our football will win us through. We are looking forward to meeting these teams with excitement and giving them competitive games, making new friends, and being ambassadors from the UK”, Hall said.

A large contingent of the players were piped from the UK's first amateur Pinoy football side – PFC (Philippine Football Club). The team has been running since 2009 and currently competes in Division One of the West Hertfordshire League, just outside of London.

In an email to ABS-CBN Europe, Hall explained how he approached PFC a few months ago and offered them the chance to train and play a few tune up games before heading out to the Philippines.

PFC was created not only to give British-based Pinoys a chance to play together, but also to scout potential talent that could be considered for teams in the Philippines, or even the national team. Eager to realize a dream, the players accepted the opportunity.

ExcitementLess than a week before flying out, it was evident there was an air of excitement within the camp.

“Finally it's here. We've had a few ups and downs, a few chops and changes with our management and coaches, but the bottom line is, we're off to the Philippines. We've been presented with an opportunity so it's up to us to take it," said Midfielder Oliver Liyanage.

Goalkeeper Engelbert Cepillo said, “This is one of the major stepping stones for the team. Three years now together? This came up and we're just taking it as it is”.

Forward Raymond Tordecilla added, “Looking forward to it, but not sure about the weather, we're used to the English weather. I heard it's monsoon season there so it will be hard to adapt, especially if it's raining. It will be a hard test for us. I am sure they [the opposition teams] will be really fit but we'll show them a bit of English football, something a bit different”, Tordecilla said.

PH-UK vs Bacolod UnitedOn Monday (October 24) the Philippine UK team played its first game of the tour against Bacolod United and cruised to a 5 – 0 victory. Despite this, some Philippine UK players were reportedly left battered and bruised by Bacolod's physical approach.

During their short visit, the British Pinoys are hoping to catch the eye of everyone, especially those within the PFF (Philippine Football Federation).

“It is a dream for any Filipino player to go to his homeland and impress the Azkal management. I am confident that the players with the good attitudes will in fact do this", coach Hall said.

The next game is on Thursday (October 27) against San Carlos City FC. Following that will be Sagay City on October 31, then finally Ceres FC on November 3.

ROXAS CITY, Philippines – University of Sto. Tomas and Far Eastern University began with victories in women’s football Sunday at the start of the 16th Philippine Sports Commission-University Games at the Villareal Stadium here.

23 October 2011

MANILA, Philippines—Defending champion Global salvaged a 2-2 stalemate against newcomer Pachanga last night to keep its last 16 hopes alive in the United Football League Cup at the muddy University of Makati pitch.

Substitute Franco Borromeo fired a volley to the top corner with a minute remaining as Global fought back from two goals down to sustain its bid for a place in the knockout stage.

The draw between two teams belonging to the tournament’s toughest group boosted Stallions FC into the knockout phase. Stallions prevailed, 8-0, over Cebu Queen City to finish their group assignments with six points.

Pachanga will face Queen City on Saturday needing just a draw to seal its entry to the next round. In this scenario, Global can only hope to gain a wild card to the knockout stage by emerging as one of the two best third-placed teams.

Army completed a sweep of its group G assignment with a 4-nil beating of Manhur to also book its place in the next round, while Nomads topped group A with a 9-0 win over Baguio FC.

Kaya-Cignal also finished the group stage unbeaten after a 6-1 victory over ABC Stars at the Alabang Country Club field.

Borromeo’s goal from a pinpoint cross from the debuting Angel Guirado capped an entertaining finish to what started as a dour game hampered by poor pitch conditions.

Pachanga, which hit the post three times in the first half, was finally rewarded in the 50th minute when Shelmar Filongco found an unmarked Joven Bedic, who slotted the ball past a helpless Paolo Pascual.

National team player Neckson Leonora doubled the advantage with a fine individual effort, outsmarting two Global defenders, before rifling in a curling shot from just inside the box 70th minute.

Sparked by the introduction of Guirado early in the second half, Global got back into the game a minute later when Izo El-Habbib followed up the Fil-Spanish’s striker saved effort.

IN ORDER to boost its chances in the Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine Under-23 team will leave tomorrow for a weeklong training camp in Japan.

The team will stay at Gotemba City where they will hold training sessions at the foot of Mount Fuji. Two of their scheduled tune-up games are against a local 18-Under team and another local club.

In the last three days of training, the team will move to Tokyo to watch the championship game of the J-League, the premier football league in Japan, and to play their final exhibition match.

“I believe that the Japan camp will make us strong,” said Paolo Pascual, who will be the team’s goalie in Japan practice matches.The team has concluded its training at the Rizal Stadium, where they usually hold conditioning exercises in the morning and scrimmages in the afternoon.

“It was a good and tough training,” said Pascual.

The team had its first exhibition game against the Philippine Air Force where they had a 4-2 win with Jingoy Valmayor’s two goals and David Basa’s successful attempt.

The team had a more convincing win in their second friendly against the Laos FC, 9-1, with Valmayor and Mark Hartman sharing three goals each. Romeo Martinez and OJ Clarino chipped in a goal, while Laos also had an own goal.

But despite the team’s wins, head coach Michael Weiss wasn’t satisfied with the team’s performance.

“The coach said there are a lot of things to work on,” shared Pascual. Among them are improvements in the defensive strategy.

OJ Porteria and Fil-Belgian Jeffrey Christiaens will join the team in Japan along with veterans Jason de Jong and Manny Ott.

First choice goal keeper Roland Mueller and Carle de Murga will follow the team in Indonesia, where the football matches will start on Nov. 3, a week ahead of the opening ceremony.

FAILING to see action in their first two games, the Baguio Football Club (FC) will finally have its first taste of the United Football League (UFL) Cup this Sunday against bracket A leader Nomads Auction Manila.

But despite the odds against the Baguio FC, team manager Carl Belo remains upbeat against the Nomad FC who already scored two victories courtesy of Lions Meltique Beef FC and Union Internacional Manila.

The team is bankrolled by eight Saint Louis University football squad members, eight members from the newly formed University of Baguio football team, four from the Baguio City National High School, one from Pines City Colleges and several foreigners in the line-up.

“We’re very confident with our team, the boys are hungry for the win,” said Belo with the team’s first game after two cancellations the last time out.

In fact, a last minute cancellation by the organizers during their supposed first game last October 9, has prompted them to play against Team Socceroo FC with celebrities Daniel Matsunaga and Fabio Ide on their side while Paolo Bediones sits as team consultant.

The visiting Baguio FC lost in a favorable home court 3-2 decision but Belo was still happy with the outcome of the game saying it was the team’s first game as a team.

“This is a good gauge for us because it’s their first time to play as a competitive squad,” added Belo.

But Belo said it was an uphill battle for them to even come out with a line-up considering the city lacks a proper football arena which means Baguio would be an away team throughout the tournament.

Belo said they are a new entry in UFCAC, not having played for the past two years.

He described the BFC as very young and disciplined.

“We lack the dramatics but we hope we bring in the wins,” Belo said, adding winning is essential for the BFC, which is relying on their own finances for the tournament.

Victory Liner, which used to be their major sponsor, opted to become a minor one, as it has its own team now. It remains the official carrier though. The local sponsors have shied away from the BFC so far.

Twenty-eight squads are seeing action in the UFL Cup, an open competition which serves as a gateway for teams seeking a place in the UFL top flight competition beginning January.

The teams have been divided into seven groups with the top two squads from each group advancing to the Round of 16. The two No. 3 teams with the best records will claim the remaining two Round of 16 berths.

CEBU Queen City United will gun for its first win while Stallions FC fights for survival in today’s UFL Cup Group C matches at the Rizal Memorial Sports Stadium.

After losing to Global FC, 3-0, in last week’s match, Cebu Queen City is the only winless team left in the group.

Today’s match will be aired live on AKTV at 2 p.m. and will be followed by the Philippine Navy vs. Philippine Air Force match at 4 p.m.

Global FC leads the group on goal difference with three points on a win and a loss, while Pachanga, which beat the Stallions, 2-0, is second. The Stallions are third owing to their opening day win over Global, 3-2.

Global FC and Pachanga will face tomorrow, while Cebu and Pachanga will face each other next week since their opening day game was cancelled.

A win by Cebu over the Stallions will boost its bid to make the quarterfinal round of the UFL Cup, while a loss means it must win its final group match against Pachanga and wait for the results in the other groups.

The top two teams in the seven four-team groups advance to the knockout stage along with two of the best third-ranked teams.

The team will be again bank on team captain John Michael Flores, who is nursing a yellow card, SPO2 Alex Boanghog on goal, and Junard Aguilar and Rene Menchavez on offense.

Meanwhile, Kaya FC is the first team to book a seat to the quarterfinal round after routing Schwarz, 5-0, last Wednesday with Nate Burkey slotting in four goals.

Burkey, who had a hat trick in Kaya’s 3-2 win over Diliman last week, now shares the top spot of the goal scoring tally with Phil Younghusband, who had seven in the Meralco Sparks 15-1 demolition of the Socceroos.

MANILA, Philippines—Air Force Phoenix seeks to clinch a spot in the knockout stage of the United Football League Cup when it tackles with Philippine Navy at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.The Airmen, winners of the league the past two seasons, look to carry the momentum of their 4-1 win over Laos last Sunday in the 4 p.m. clash against a Navy side that upgraded its roster for the Cup.Bracketed in the tournament’s group of death, Stallion and Cebu Queen City collide in the first game at 2 p.m. Both matches will be aired live by AKTV on IBC13.Kaya already booked its place in the round of 16 with a 5-0 demolition of Schwarz Friday night at the University of Makati pitch.Azkals striker Nate Burkey scored four goals in the match to jack up his tally to seven for the tournament, tying Loyola Meralco’s Phil Younghuband on top of the scoring charts.The 26-year-old Burkey, who played division 1 soccer in Virginia Commonwealth, opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the ninth minute, before completing his hat-trick with goals in the 12th and 22nd minute.Burkey added a fourth goal in the 66th minute from close range after a pinpoint cross from newcomer Paolo Atayde.Kaya hiked their record to six points from two matches, after opening the campaign with a 3-2 win over Diliman Victory Liner where Burkey also struck a hat-trick.The Airmen will lean on national players Chieffy Caligdong and Ian Araneta, who scored three goals in the win over Laos.Navy, a team that failed to win a single match in league play in the first division, flashed improved form in a 9-0 domination of second division side Manila All-Japan last weekend.Stallion, a 3-2 winner over defending champion Global, seeks to rebound from a loss to Pachanga last week against the Cebuanos, who are also reeling from a 0-3 defeat from defending champion Global.Other crucial matches over the weekend include the Global-Pachanga duel at 3 p.m. on Sunday at University of Makati pitch.Loyola Meralco Sparks, coming off a 15-1 rout of Socceroos, gun for a place in the round of 16 against Internacionale in group B play at 5 p.m. on Sunday also at UMak.

21 October 2011

VIENTIANE (21 Oct 2011) – Thailand came back from a goal down to beat Myanmar 3-1 as ten-women Philippines battled to a 2-2 draw in the final Group B match of the AFF Women’s Championship 2011.

With the win, Thailand will take on hosts Laos in the semi-finals while Myanmar will entertain Vietnam in the other tie.

In the match at the National Stadium, both the Philippines and Malaysia were eager to avoid the wooden spoon tag.

And while the Malaysians were attempting to exert control, it was the Philippines who nailed the first goal of the game when Kathleen Rodriguez capitalised on a Malaysian keeper Roszaini Bakar ‘s mistake to slot into an open goal.

But the loss of captain Marielle Benitez at the end of the first half would soon turn the tide in Malaysia’s favour despite the score being 1-0 to the advantage of the Philippines.

Three minutes after the restart, Malaysia took advantage of a poor defensive clearance from the Philippines for captain Angela Kais to score the equaliser.

20 October 2011

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Olympic Committee could face sanction from the Indonesia Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee once futsal and baseball, which both confirmed their participation, decide to skip the Games.

Philippine deputy chef de mission Romeo Magat and the country’s SEA Games secretariat waited way past office hours Thursday for futsal and baseball officials to make the payment for the participation of their athletes in the Nov. 11 to 22 meet but nobody came.

Futsal entered its men’s and women’s teams of 12 players each while baseball planned to bring a 22-man squad.

The athletes of both sports were among the 110 private-sponsored campaigners and 21 officials for whom the POC extended the courtesy of stretching the deadline yesterday so they could join the already approved roster of 424 athletes and 140 officials to be funded by the Philippine Sports Commission.

“They (baseball and futsal) begged to be included and yet they didn’t show up when we asked for the payment,” said Magat.

Sponsors for futsal and baseball need to cough up P75,000 to P80,000 for each athlete for the duration of the Games.

“Their noncompliance would force us to remove them,” said Magat. “But that’s not the problem. We’ll be penalized (by the SEA Games organizers) since they’re already considered as official entries.”

The POC had already paid the airline bookings of these athletes and officials.

“IT seems that we are in favorable group,” Philippine Under 23 team manager Dan Palami said the team got a break after getting a favorable group in the Southeast Asian Games this November.

The Philippines is in Group B with 2009 runner-up Vietnam, semifinalist Laos, Timor Leste, Myanmar and Brunei, avoiding powerhouse teams Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, which are in Group A along with Cambodia.

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However, Palami the draw is not a reason to be complacent as the other teams are also working hard for the first place finish.

“It’s not a walk in the park that’s why we need to train harder,” said Palami.

Though Timor Leste and Laos maybe considered minnows, both countries have started a grassroots program two years ago that is focused on its Under 23 and Under 19 teams.

The Philippine team will be led by veterans Manny Ott and Jason de Jong, who have both played for the senior team in the Suzuki Cup preliminaries. Carlos de Murga, Jeffrey Christiaens and siblings Mark and Martthew Hartmann, who all played for the senior team in the Long Teng Cup, will also be in the squad.

Roland Mueller will man the goal in place of Neil Etheridge, who is busy with his career in Fulham, though the PFF is trying to negotiate with Etheridge’s club to make him available for the SEA Games.

Palami also said that a gold medal is a good motivation for the team, but for now, a more realistic goal is to reach the semifinals, to duplicate the Philippines best finish during the 1991 SEA Games.

“We have young and good players. It’s a more decent lineup and stronger,” Palami said.

The team will leave for a weeklong training camp in Japan on Oct. 21 and they are set to play three games against different universities.

AN eight-day training stint in Japan from Oct. 23 to 31 will get the Philippine national under-23 football team ready for the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

Coach Hans Michael Weiss said that the preparations for the national team will have to be hastened now that organizers in Indonesia have moved the schedule of matches from Nov. 7 to an earlier date (Nov. 3).

The Philippines is expected to have a lighter schedule in the SEA Games football competition after the team was put in Group B during Wednesday’s drawing of lots in Jakarta.

The Filipinos are bracketed with last year’s runner-up Vietnam, Brunei, Laos, Timor Leste and Myanmar.

Defending champion Malaysia is in a tougher bracket (Group A), along with Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Cambodia.

“We want to give the players international exposure and have them experience games against university and high school teams in Japan, so that they are prepared for tougher games in Indonesia,” explained Weiss.

The camp in Japan will be in Gotemba, the same venue the Philippines utilized when they prepared for the AFC Challenge Cup playoff match against Mongolia.

Weiss will bring a 30-man squad to Gotemba, but a final cut of 20 will see action in the SEA Games.

Among the players expected to make the cut are Fil-German goalkeeper Roland Muller, Manny Ott, Mark Drinkuth, Patrick Hinrichsen and Jeff Christiaens.

Neckson Leonora is among the local players who could make the grade, along with Lemuel Unabia, Raymark Fernandez, David Basa, Paolo Pascual and Joshua Beloya. Peter Atencio

BACOLOD CITY - Dynamic Builders Football Club and the Ceres Transport FC remain unbeaten in the conference after routing their respective rivals last Sunday in the ongoing Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC) 9-A-Side Football Tournament played at the Ayala North Point pitch in Talisay City.

OCTOBER 19 (Sugod.com) – Dolphins United remain on course fighting for a spot in the knockout stage of the United Football Cup after Alvin Obero inspired a 4-2 win against Forza at University of Makati on Tuesday night.

The victory of Dolphins gives Forza a mountain to climb following its second consecutive loss in the United Football Cup group stage and remain at the bottom of Group F.

Dolphins United were a better team throughout the match scoring its third goal on the hour mark without any reply from the opposing team.

Forza’s William Pajibo almost turned the tide with a double in the 71st and 78th minute to reduce the lead to 3-2 but a resilient Dolphins made sure they went home with a win. Alvin Obero sealed his hat-trick in the 90th minute to earn a deserving victory for his club.

Dolphins United face a crucial match against Green Archers on Sunday while Forza hosts Pasargad for their ultimate chance of going through to the next stage of the competition.

VIENTIANE (19 Oct 2011) – Thailand picked up the full six points after two matches in the AFF Women’s Championship 2011 – this time blasting the Philippines 5-1 at the National Stadium.

Following up from their 8-1 humiliation of Malaysia in the opening match two days ago, the Thais were playing very much at the same level and showed no sign of letting up.

In the tenth minute, captain Junpen Seesraum nailed the opener with a stinging shot that came off the crossbar before crossing the line into goal.

The Philippines tried to move the ball forward but with them having difficulty to win the midfield battle, the afternoon was always going to be a long one despite the several ‘imported’ players on their side.

Some sustained pressure afterwards, saw Thailand finally getting down to business once again where in the 29th minute, Kanjana Sung-Jeon cut in through from the right, before putting the ball away past the reach of Philippines custodian Inna Palacios.

A minute to the end of the first half, it was 3-0 with a fine effort from Sunisa Srangthaisong from inside the box.

In a three minute blitz, midfielder Nisa Romyen nailed two goals on a trot to put Thaiand comfortably in front and in total control as they took their feet off the pedal.

The Thai camp then made several substitutions to allow the lesser players the chance to see action and this included introducing striker Taneekarn Dangda – the sister to Thai national striker Teerasil – to the fray.

With Thailand on cruise control, the Philippines managed to squeeze one goal in when a frantic chase for clearance allowed Samantha Nierras to head in the ball for the final scoreline.

An improved Philippine women’s side yielded to powerhouse Myanmar, 0-2, in controversial fashion Monday in the AFF Women’s Championship at the National Stadium in Vientiane, Laos.

Playing their first international match in two years, the Malditas fell behind in the fourth minute and were down 0-2 by halftime, before holding their ground in the second half—a performance they will try to build on when they face Thailand at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Natasha Alquiros couldn’t make the most of the Malditas’ best chance in the 30th minute when her shot only flew inches above the crossbar, before the Malditas were denied a penalty for a Myanmar handball in the second half.

The result left Malditas coach Ernie Nierras enraged, claiming that Myanmar’s first goal was offside and his team should have been given a penalty for the blatant handball.

“I’m pissed, the girls are pissed,” Nierras said. “We would have won this game. I would not be upset if Myanmar was totally superior.”

Nierras said his players looked a little jittery in the first half, but “did quite better offensively in the second and even had a few good attempts.”

“The second half was ours,” he said. “Myanmar ran out of steam. Our girls kept attacking until the final whistle. Myanmar couldn’t even get out of its own half in the final 10 minutes.”

Even Myanmar coach Yoshinori Kumada was surprised at the Malditas’ gallant stand.

“Sure we were expecting to score lots of goals but the Philippines have improved a lot and that made it tough for us,” said Kumada in an article on aseanfootball.org.

The Malditas have no recourse but to beat Thailand and win via a big margin against Malaysia in their last group match to stand a chance of moving into the semifinals.

Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the last four.

“If Thailand wants to win this game, they would have to take it from us,” said Nierras.

18 October 2011

MANILA (18 Oct 2011) – The Philippines national Under-23 camp will be heading to Japan for their final camp on 23-31 October 2011 ahead of the SEA Games in Indonesia early next month.

Following the runners-up spot win for the Philippines senior team at the Long Teng Cup in Chinese Taipei earlier this month, the focus has now shifted to the U23 side chasing their first ever podium finish.

“There’s really no time to rest. We have to resume training with more intensity for the U23,” said Weiss.

“With the senior team having the Long Teng Cup, the U23 is a little bit behind. Hopefully, we can catch up in the Japan camp.”

The camp in Japan will be held in Gotemba – the same venue when the Philippines prepared for the AFC Challenge Cup playoff match against Mongolia.

Other than training alone, the Philippines will also be looking to play against ‘strong Japanese university teams’.

Among the players for the Philippines squad are Fil-Dutch Azkal Jason de Jong (pix), Fil-German Manuel Ott, Neckson Leonora, Raymark Fernandez, David Basa and Joshua Beloya.

“I think we can field an interesting squad to the SEA Games,” said Weiss. “We hope we can connect very well together in Japan and go from there to Indonesia.”

VIENTIANE (17 Oct 2011) – The Philippines put up some fierce resistance before succumbing to a 2-0 defeat to Myanmar on the second match day of the AFF Women’s Championship 2011 here at the National Stadium.

Myanmar, fielding a side which is being moulded for the SEA Games in 2013, were not expecting the Philippines to be much of a challenge.

“Sure we were expecting to score lots of goals but the Philippines have improved a lot and that made it tough for us,” said Yoshinori Kumada, the chief coach of Myanmar.

“We have to improve obviously from this first game where although the team played to instruction, we just did not score enough goals and we have to remedy that for the next match.”

Despite scoring the early goal in the fourth minute when My Nilar Htwe capitalised on a defensive error, the Myanmar girls found Philippines a hard nut to crack when the latter held out for long periods.

They even tried to catch Myanmar on the break but the Philippines girls just did not have enough pace to make things happen.

The closest they came to scoring a goal was a freekick at the half hour mark but the swerving shot from Natasha Alquiros flew just over the crossbar.

That failure to score saw My Nilar scoring the second goal for herself and also for Myanmar when she knocked the ball in from the far post off a cross from the right.

Myanmar stepped up the tempo in the second half but either through some fortunate defending or just plain hard work, the Philippines stood their ground all the way to the finish

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Tiny Rosevale school inside the posh Xavier Estate subdivision here is leading the football revolution in this city of Golden Friendship.

Aside from having less than one thousand mixed pre-school, elementary and high school students, the Opus Dei run school has the best elementary football team right now in Cagayan de Oro having won the city's Quadrangular meet. The Quad meet is the selection tournament of the city for the Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) regional football Palaro on November 11-13, in Malaybalay city, Bukidnon.

But as they prepare for the regional meet the team has only one thing in mind, defeat powerhouse and defending national champion Bukidnon. Bukidnon is represented by the kids from the Holy Cross Academy in Camp Philips, Manolo Fortich. The school has one of the best football programs in the country having been situated at the centre of the pineapple producing compound of Del Monte Philippines.

THE Cebu Queen City United faltered in its UFL Cup debut, losing to the defending champion Global FC at the Alabang Country Club football field yesterday, 3-0, in Group C.

“We still have a lot of things to work on,” Cebu Queen City coach Mario Ceniza, who only had less than a month to form the team, told Sun.Star Cebu.

The loss leaves Queen City as the only winless team in the bracket, which is considered as the Group of Death in the UFL Cup. Pachanga got on board after beating the Stallions, 2-0, for its first win. Pachanga, the Stallions and Global all have three points but Global has the lead based on the number of goals scored, at six. Pachanga is second with two goals, while the Stallions, the first week leader, are third.

Ceniza said the team’s lack of exposure and competitive games counted against them as yesterday’s game was their first competitive match since the team was formed. They only had a couple of friendlies before making their UFL Cup debut.

“Most of the goals we conceded were due to lapses and miscommunication,” said Ceniza, who added Global is miles ahead in terms of experience.

Izzo El-Habbib scored all three goals for Global, which also missed the services of the injured Angel Guirado Aldeguer and Remy Seri.

Though he conceded three goals, Ceniza was all praises for Cebuano keeper Alex Buanghog Jr., who had a few fine saves against the vaunted Global offense.

Third win

Global FC coach Graeme Mackinnon said he was happy that his players finally delivered after their opening day loss to the Stallions, 3-2, and the team will shoot for their third win against Pachanga next week.

Team owner Dan Palami, who played in the final 15 minutes yesterday, said, “It’s the kind of win we really need after the loss last week and it’s just bad that it came against our ‘sister club’ Cebu.”

Palami had a shot at open goal in the match but it was headed off by a defender.

Mackinnon added the pitch was also a factor in yesterday’s game.

“It would have been a better match if it was played on better pitches. Both teams lost a few chances because the ball would get stuck in the mud,” said Mackinnon.

Despite the loss, Cebu still has a solid shot at making the knockout quarterfinal stage of the UFL Cup and must beat the Stallions this Saturday.

“All is not lost, naa pa tay dako nga chance,” Ceniza said.

The team is set to resume light training today and will be back to its regular training sessions tomorrow. Ceniza is also planning to arrange a series of friendlies against college teams now that the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. season is over.

In the other matches yesterday, the Philippine Army crushed Garuda, 11-0, Pasragad FC beat the Dolphins, 1-0, and the Schwarz Futbol Club drew the ABC Stars, 1-1.

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals may have to plug in a huge hole in the central defense when they go back to camp in January as team captain Aly Borromeo suffered an ACL injury that could sideline him for six months.

Borromeo hurt his knee during Kaya Cignal FC’s 3-2 win over Victory Liner Diliman last Saturday in the United Football League Cup at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

According to Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta, MRI test on Borromeo confirmed the ACL injury, which puts in doubt the status of the veteran defender for the Azkals’ eventual campaign in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup in March 2012.

“It depends on how soon he’ll recover. But if he can’t make it in time for the AFC Challenge Cup, we have to look for other defenders to fill up the slack,” said Araneta.

The PFF chief is monitoring the situation from Laos, where he’s attending the AFF Women’s Championship.

Borromeo, for his part, promised to be back.

“Thank u for all the warm messages and support guys... I’ll be back out there in no time!” he posted on Twitter yesterday.

The Azkals are on a break after beating Nepal, 4-0, in a Fifa-sanctioned friendly and players have since returned to their respective clubs both here and abroad.

MANILA, Philippines - Looking to draw momentum from the gains of the Azkals, the Philippine Malditas kick off their own campaign today against Myanmar in the ASEAN Football Federation Women’s Championship in Vientiane, Laos.

The Malditas make their first international appearance after a two-year hiatus in the Group B duel with Myanmar at 4 p.m., determined to make inroads just like their male counterparts.

“We’ve not had many women football activities in the past two years, so this meet is important. We are looking at developing the women’s game in the long term,” said Phl coach Ernest Nierras.

Four Fil-foreigners have beefed up the Malditas - Fil-American Heather Cooke, a former Division 1 player at Loyola Maryland; US-based Patrice Impelido and Fil-Germans Cristina Keuter and Lorrene Bayani.

Keuter followed the Malditas to Vientiane yesterday after suspected dengue prevented her from flying in with the rest of the crew last Friday. Nierras said the Fil-German midfielder has been cleared to hook up with her teammates led by skipper Marielle Benitez and Sam Nierras for the campaign.

After Myanmar, the Filipinas will take on Thailand on Oct. 19, then Malaysia on Oct. 21, hoping to be in the Top 2 of Group B to make it to the crossover semis on Oct. 23. The finals and battle for third will be played on Oct. 25.

“If all things go according to plan, we aim to be there on Oct. 25,” Nierras said.

MANILA, Philippines - With the Azkals’ 2011 campaign already done with, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) shifts its resources to preparing the under-23 team for its medal quest in the 26th Southeast Asian Games, which blasts off in less than three weeks in Indonesia.

From the Azkals, coach Michael Weiss goes full-time to honing up and calling the shots for the Phl U-23 side, hoping the mix of Fil-foreign and homegrown booters will make great strides from a training camp in Gotemba, Japan next week.

“There’s really no time to rest. We have to resume training with more intensity (for the Under-23),” said Weiss, who inserted some mainstays of the U-23 team to the seniors crew (Azkals) that placed second in the recent Long Teng Cup in Chinese-Taipei.

“With the national (seniors) team having the Long Teng Cup, the under-23 is a little bit behind. Hopefully, we can catch up in the Japan camp,” he said.

The Under-23 side will be in Gotemba, Japan from Oct. 23-31, to train in the same facilities where the Azkals held camp last March in the buildup for their AFC Challenge Cup playoff match with Mongolia.

Weiss said they are arranging tuneup matches with strong Japanese university teams to prepare his wards for the SEA Games in Indonesia, where football’s schedule was moved to Nov. 3 from its original Nov. 7 kickoff.

Three recruits based abroad, Fil-Spanish Carli de Murga, Fil-German Roland Muller and Fil-Belgian Jeffrey Christiaens, are still uncertain to join the Japan camp, according to team coordinator Jojie Ronda, but have given their commitment to play in the SEAG.

From Japan, the team will return to Manila on Oct. 31 then leave for Jakarta the following day.

Fil-Dutch Azkal Jason de Jong, Fil-German Manuel Ott, Neckson Leonora, Raymark Fernandez, David Basa and Joshua Beloya are among the other mainstays of the team.

“I think we can field an interesting squad to the SEA Games,” said Weiss. “We hope we can connect very well together in Japan in camp and go from there to Indonesia.”

AFTER a one-week delay, the Cebu Queen City United will finally make their UFL Cup debut against defending champion Global FC in Manila today.

Cebu Queen City was supposed to play Pachanga last week but the game was cancelled and coach Mario Ceniza said though they were disappointed with the cancellation, the delay has helped the team a bit.

“Nakatabang gamay ang extra week na training,” said Ceniza, who formed the team in less than a month as Cebu was the last entry to sign up for the UFL, the country’s premier football competition.

However, Ceniza said they weren’t able to play a tuneup game the past week because of the lack of quality opposition, as the college teams are busy with their Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. campaign.

“Conditioning-wise, the players are OK as seen during the trainings and drills, but I really can’t say for sure because match fitness is different,” said Ceniza.

It’s the same problem for Graeme Mackinnon, the new Global coach, who has to deal with injury issues.

Mackinnon said he will put defender Jerry Barbaso in midfield to cover for the injured Remi Sery, one of the goal scorers in Global’s 3-2 loss to the Stallions.

“Right now, our bench is very shallow. (Remi) wasn’t able to finish the practice last Thursday because of his injury,” Mackinnon said.

Filipino Spanish player Angel Aldeguer also won’t suit up owing to the injury he picked up in the Azkals’ friendly against Singapore, and Mackinnon is planning to field the striker in their game against Pachanga.

The weather in Manila has also foiled the team’s practice and Mackinnon said they had to play seven-a-side football in a basketball court during their last session.

Mackinnon said he expects a tough game today.

“They (the players) know they have to redeem themselves after last week’s game. They have to get together,” Mackinnon said. “But we are not taking Cebu lately. We are expecting a tough match.”

“If you get complacent, it will come back to bite you,” he said.

The Stallions lead Group C with three points with a win, while Global, Cebu and Pachanga have yet to score a win.

In yesterday’s game, Phil Younghusband led the Loyola Meralco Sparks to a 15-1 rout of Socceroos, while Nate Burkey had a hat trick in Kaya FC’s 3-2 win over Diliman.

MANILA, Philippines—National team strikers Phil Younghusband and Nate Burkey sparkled as Loyola Meralco Sparks and Kaya Cignal scored contrasting victories Saturday in the United Football League Cup at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.Younghusband fired a tournament-high seven goals in a 15-1 demolition of newcomer Socceroos in Group B, while Burkey delivered a hat-trick to lift 10-man Kaya Cignal to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Diliman Victory Liner.The Sparks brandished their souped-up attack with Mark Hartmann also drilling in five goals and Matthew Hartmann, Jake Morallo and Davide Cortina adding a goal each.With the Hartmanns striking in the first 10 minutes and Younghusband already slotting five goals by the 30th minute, the Sparks merely went through the motions in the second half against the overmatched Socceroos, whose squad was bannered by former Southridge players and Brazilian-Japanese bets.Socceroos skipper Mike Reyes salvaged some pride with his 55th minute strike averting the shutout.The win allowed the Sparks to grab the headstart in Group B, which also includes Agila FC and Internacionale FC.The 26-year-old Burkey carried his good form with the national team to Kaya as he helped his side rally from a goal down twice to pull off the improbable win.Kaya remained second in Group C behind Diliman on goal difference, although it has a game in hand.In an enthralling duel aired live on AKTV on IBC13, the wards of coach Juan Cutillas survived despite skipper and central defender Aly Borromeo leaving the game late in the first half because of injury and Lexton Moy sent off in the 40th minute.Coming off a 7-0 crushing of ABC Stars, Diliman took a shock lead in the 2nd minute when Jinggoy Valmayor, finding himself with plenty of space on top of the box, rifled home from 20 yards.Kaya equalized with Burkey, set up by Jason Sabio’s throw in, doing well to keep the ball despite pressure from Diliman before his deflected shot found the back of the net in the 20th minute.Former national player Ariel Zerrudo restored Diliman’s advantage with an instinctive strike from an Anto Gonzales through ball seven minutes from the break.But Kaya, sparked by the introduction of Anton del Rosario, Masa Omura and Ruffy Llorente, gained a foothold on the game and kept the pressure on Diliman.Kaya’s persistence was rewarded by Burkey’s 55th minute penalty after Deo Segunial fouled Adrian Semblat in the area.Burkey put the finishing touches to a sensational performance by latching onto Omura’s dummy and slotting it past Jerome Leung.

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Azkals football stars Chieffy Caligdong and Ian Araneta wowed their fans in Zamboanga on Friday as they kicked-off the province’s football festival at the Don Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex.

Galigdong and Araneta, who are both Philippine Air Force first class airmen, were personally escorted by their commanding general, Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena.

Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat was also present to accompany the two football players during the ceremonial kick-off.

The two Azkals members admitted that they were overwhelmed by the warm welcome given by the thousands of roaring football fans.

They also took time to share among football enthusiasts few tips and tricks which can help them become great football players. – Report from Jewel Reyes, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga City.

Pic : UP Diliman Victory Liner FC's goalie Jerome Leung (left) and teammate Deo Segunial (center) block the shot attempt of Kaya's Eric Dagroh in their game in the United Football League at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium on Saturday. Danny Pata

14 October 2011

MANILA—Members of the national team return to their respective clubs as the United Football League resumes Saturday with first-division sides Loyola Meralco Sparks and Kaya Cignal opening their campaigns at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Fil-British brothers Phil and James Younghusband make their debut for the Sparks as they face newcomer Team Socceroos, a team made up of former Southridge standouts and Brazilian-Japanese players, in the first match at 2 p.m.

National team skipper Aly Borromeo will spearhead Kaya’s bid against dangerous Diliman at 4 p.m. in the second of two televised games on AKTV on IBC 13.

Borromeo, an imposing figure on defense, will be joined in the Kaya side by players with international experience in Jason Sabio, Yannick Tuason, Christopher Camcam and Nate Burkey, who played in the two friendly matches against Singapore and Nepal last week.

The spotlight will be on the Sparks as they parade a retooled lineup powered by the Younghusband brothers—former Chelsea reserves team players—who have a combined total of 24 international goals.

Phil hopes to pick up from where he left off last Tuesday when he led the Azkals with two goals in the 4-nil drubbing of Nepal.

The Sparks actually have the two other players who scored for the Azkals against Nepal in James Younghusband and Matthew Hartmann, whose younger brother, Mark, is also in the squad.

In a duel that could potentially determine which team tops Group C, Kaya is in for a tough outing against a Diliman squad coming off an impressive 7-0 victory over ABC Stars.